Ashes, Ashes: The Fear of Falling Down
by 10000 Paper Cranes
Summary: If another, perhaps more relatable Princess had been Prince Sky's fiancée. From the Princess's point of view.
1. So Long, My Rose-Colored Glasses

**1**

I picked up the diary I'd received as a birthday present not so long ago, and flipped through some of the pages.

_Dear Diary,_

_Since it's polite to introduce one's self before sharing any details of a much more personal nature, I am Princess Anika of Empathia. I'm fourteen as of today, July 22, and all my life I have been raised to be the bride of none other than Prince Sky of Eraklyon. However, I am very happy in these circumstances. Why? That's because I'm very much in love with him! At this point, merely two years and a day from the marriage date, life simply couldn't get any better for me. In fact, I'm soon going_

My first entry was painfully uneventful, although certainly heartfelt; I'd scribbled it in whilst in the middle of more magic lessons. The teacher had caught me mid-sentence, and I'd not been able to write more until she'd returned it to me. Or rather, until I'd found it waiting for me on my bed later that evening.

_Dear Diary,_

_ I went to Magic Stadium earlier today because I heard Sky's school, Red Fountain, was going there on a school trip to see the band Charmed Life. He wasn't there, and everyone I asked said he'd taken off at the last minute. Now, I know that _my_ Prince Sky is pretending to be Brandon at the moment, but I couldn't very well ask for a Squire when everyone knew me only as the fiancée of Prince Sky. Still, Brandon—the _real_ Brandon—went almost everywhere with Prince Sky, as a bodyguard should, and so it wasn't queer for me to ask if Brandon—the Brandon who was really Sky—had gone with him—the Sky that was really Brandon. Did that make sense? I hope so, for I don't have time to explain. Nuli, my personal maid, is calling for me to turn off the faerie-glow and get myself to bed._

I flipped to the next page as things I'd felt I'd forgotten came rushing back to me. I didn't want to forget anything, especially with the upcoming event that would for sure allow me to see and chat with Prince Sky and maybe solve a few of these mysteries.

_Dear Diary,_

_I called Sky just now and asked him how the concert went, pretending to play the fool. He said it was great, but when I asked for details he stuttered a bit as he often does when caught in a lie and said he had to go to class—that he'd tell me about it later. Sure. Later. Later after he'd asked someone else how it had gone! Sky is too predictable, even over the phone, but I suppose I really do love that about him. I truly wish he would accept me as more than just a friend and admit to what I really am: his fiancée._

The rest of the pages were blank. It would seem it had been forever since I'd written, and really it had to have at least been a month or more, but I had been busy playing the perfect little princess worthy to marry Prince Sky of Eraklyon. His parents loved me, and my older sister, Fione, was merely content in the fact that _she'd_ not been the sister selected to be his bride. She wasn't one to take such extensive training without begrudging it. Not to mention the fact that seeing as the two of _us_ didn't ever get along, I couldn't imagine how she might have been able to act as Sky's bride, or be a friend to him in any sense of the word.

A stiff knock alerted me that the door to my bedroom was about to be opened, and so I stuffed the diary under my mattress. "Princess Anika, your ride awaits." I put on a beautiful smile and allowed the guard to escort me out. It was time to attend the Day of the Royals held at Red Fountain.

…

"Anika, dear, you look lovely," Sky's mother complimented.

"Thank you, but you, highness, look _radiant_. I do hope when I grow up I am able to look even half as beautiful, but I fear I'm already at such a disadvantage." The both of us laughed, for it was the usual game of who could best out-flatter the other.

Silence fell, however, as the three of us (plus a few guards) neared the doors. I fell politely behind them. It was then that someone bumped into me rather too hard for the collision to have been casual, knocking from the secret pocket in my cloak the most recent hologram Sky had sent me.

I only glanced at the redhead who'd knocked me over before retrieving my prized possession in the most princess-like way I could manage. "Please be more careful next time! This is the most recent hologram I have of my fiancée. I'd rather it not be broken!" I couldn't help but be a little snide, even though I was always trying to affect a more carefree attitude. My reaction had a lot to do with how she hadn't even followed up her gaffe with any attempt at an apology.

Without waiting for her to recover herself, I followed after the others at a dignified pace. Above the arena, I sat between two guards, as was proper, rather than by Sky's parents, as I wished, but they weren't so far away that I had any right to ask for better.

"Where's your father, Anika, dear?" Sky's mother asked, sharing her polite inquiry over the guard between us.

I much preferred when the two of us could talk together casually, but I smiled and replied, "I'm afraid he wasn't able to make it, your highness. Something came up that required his immediate attention, but he sends his apologies to all those that might miss him." The both of us quieted, each knowing the truth behind my words.

My father was ailing, and no amount of faerie magic was able to return to him his previous strength. Not even my Enchantix, which I had sadly gained over the death of my mother, would be enough. It was me, now, who was responsible for the affairs of the kingdom—a dedication that required more energy than my father could currently spare. My sister was of no help, either. She was always spending her time at the stores of Empathia, and with every type of boy imaginable. My father was going to disown her and hand the inheritance over to me the moment he felt strong enough to assert this point without flaw. I couldn't feel bad for my sister. She only wanted the money, not the responsibility, but the two came hand-in-hand.

A pink paper notice in my line of vision brought me back to myself, and I accepted it with light fingers, reading the print. Apparently Prince Sky wanted to see me. Only, this wasn't his handwriting. I looked at the one who'd handed it to me—the same redhead from earlier. "Follow me, please," she said. "I'll take you to him."

Something was up, but I'd play along for now. Smiling, I stood up and addressed Sky's father. "Pardon me, sire." The king looked at me jovially. He had always been the most active advocate of my marriage with Sky. He honestly considered me the perfect princess I tried so hard to project, especially when taking into account my home life. "I'm going to take a short walk; I shall return for the opening of the Exhibition." Both he and his queen silently nodded, but exchanged questioning glances nonetheless. I flashed a quick smile before following the girl from before. A guard followed us unbidden, but I'd expected it. It was Clyde, after all, who was also a friend of mine. And, yes, it was always good to make friends of one's guards. Still, the way he walked in front of me was a little more than just protective.

Once she led us around the corner, and I saw no sign of Sky—which I'd expected—I asked, "Is Sky very far?"

She didn't answer me, but rather snapped her fingers in front of Clyde and said, "Sweet dreams." Clyde collapsed and, out of habit, I moved to catch him. He was too heavy for a girl of my stature to support, however, and I ended up sitting on the floor as well. At least I'd managed to lessen his fall, and he'd taken no hit to the head.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Ok, so I'd lost my lady-like manner, but she'd just put my friend to sleep without any concern for his well-being at all! What if he _had_ hit his head? The floor might have had a carpet down the _center_, but it had been laid down over _cement_!

I moved his shoulders and head off me and onto the ground safely before standing up as he redhead turned her head to tell me, "Cut it out." Cut it out?! _She_ was the one who'd made _my_ loyal friend and guard pass out. "Who are you? Icy, Darcy, or Stormy?"

She must've been crazy. "What…?" I shook my head. "_I_ am _Princess _Anika of Empathia, and what you're doing here is an act of treason!" Forging the name of the Prince of Eraklyon, putting a sleep spell on my guard, and even talking down to a Princess!

"Fine," her tone was wistful and confident, which was intensely aggravating. "That means I'm gonna have to unmask you by _force_. Bloom Magic WINX!" She became a blue-bedecked faerie, a color matching of her eyes, but what she was thinking I couldn't fathom. She wanted to add to all her transgressions by _attacking_ me?! And indeed, she did! She glowed and sent a ball of fire-based power at me. I blocked it as well as I could while grappling with feelings of confusion, but the force of it sent me back into a part of the wall that was mercifully wood-based. I went right through it, but at least I was still standing, and splinter-free. From what I could hear, the Expedition had started. This crazed girl was making me break my word to the king and queen.

That was the last straw! "Just remember you asked for this! Enchantix!" A silver and blue light wrapped around me, changing colors as I took on my Enchantix form. My already hip-length brown hair grew longer; the locks that would usually curve about my face with delicate tenor now fell long and loose far past my chin; and my bangs grew more well-defined while the rest of my hair was pulled back into an exotic style and then hung loose to my knees. My outfit was a fine red and gold that brought out the red in my hair and enforced my deep blue eyes. It showed me off more than anything else I could have worn, and my wings were a variety of prismatic colors that offset the outfit seamlessly. The girl was obviously stunned by the unfamiliar transformation, but in a few years it'd be even better.

She clearly wasn't surprised enough to hold her next attack, however, for she did throw another of those weak fireballs, which I dodged. I rushed toward her, more one for hand-to-hand combat thanks to Sky's friends, some of whom were also my friends. She tried to fly up, but I grabbed her ankle and pulled her down _hard_. Payback for before, but I didn't want to be responsible for hurting anyone too badly, so hand-to-hand was better in that sense as well. "Ow!"

I winced in her stead, feeling guilty for no reason. To combat the undeserved compassion she'd drawn from me, I told myself she was being a crybaby. _I_ hadn't said 'ow' after getting sent through that wall. (Then again, that was probably because I'd had the air knocked out of me...)

The attacker tried to kick me, but I jumped back. She was way too obvious. "I'm going to capture you here and you can plead your case to the King and Queen of Eraklyon. I'd love to hear your excuse for attacking the very Princess from Empathia that is also the fiancée of their Prince Sky!" To insult her, and only for that reason, I flicked my hand and sent my weakest containment spell on her. I watched with amusement as she struggled just to break it.

"Alright, I've had it you ugly witch!" she yelled. I thought she could use a mirror first before trying to spout a line like that again—that badly applied make-up just made it look like someone had punched her in both eyes. She sent two fireballs my way, but I easily threw up a barrier to absorb them. I continued to fight her halfheartedly, none of her spells affecting I in the least, but the more I fought the more my anger rose. Anger was the basis of this transformation. Anger and indignation—they fueled my power.

There seemed to be some commotion above; I could hear the screaming. For the sake of seeing what was going on, suspicious now of this faerie's antics, and thinking something more dire might be going on above while she kept me "occupied," I took the fight above ground following another one of her badly aimed spells that had made an opening in the ceiling.

"So, had enough?" she asked, mistaking my intentions as she followed me.

"You haven't even gotten a hit on me since that dirty blow you first dealt before I transformed!" I threw another containment spell, holding a good deal of annoyance and anger. If she hadn't dodged it at that last minute she never would have been able to break free of it on her own.

"Anika!" That was Sky's voice!

"Sky!" I turned to look at him and, distracted, was hit by the force of another of the girl's fireballs. I fell from the air this time, but fortunately Sky moved quickly enough to catch me. It was totally witchy of me, but I hoped he'd crush her into faerie dust for everything she'd done! At least... verbally, anyway. There was no need to go to extremes, no matter how mad I was.

"Anika! Bloom, stop this!"

The girl, apparently called Bloom, said, "Brandon?" I heard the confusion in her voice, and saw that look in her eye. She liked him! She was hurt! So that's what this was about!

Peeved, I couldn't help but blurt, "You don't even know to whom you speak! This is Prince Sky of Eraklyon, and my future husband!" There were others watching, I had to sound more sophisticated than her at the very least. I didn't want to believe Sky had used this alias as a means to meet such a girl. It couldn't be. I wanted to bring her down from whatever high horse she'd put herself on.

It worked. The girl called Bloom sunk to the ground on her knees and Sky put me back on my feet. "Bloom!" Sky sounded worried. It wasn't the reaction I was hoping for.

"Squire!" At least the king sounded as angry as I was, perhaps even more so.

Brandon ran to the arena space beneath the section of stadium on which the king was and knelt. "My lord!" he answered.

"Who _is_ this girl that dares to attack the future queen of Eraklyon?! And why weren't you helping my son when the situation became dangerous?! You have neglected his safety! You may be still in training, Squire, but you were placed in this position for a single purpose, and we expect a greater effort on your part to see it through! Now, we have to get to the bottom of this mess. Excuse us." He left with the Queen, not waiting for an answer to these questions.

Oh yeah, he was mad. I felt bad for Brandon, who had taken the full brunt of the King's first wave of anger. But what had happened here to put Sky in danger? I would have to find out later, for whatever it was had already passed. Meanwhile, the situation between myself, Sky, and Bloom was still in full motion.

...

When I got home after a long, long day, I recorded these events, as well as what took place afterwards.

_Dear Diary,_

_…Prince Sky asked that I convince his parents to be lenient on Bloom—to not push whatever punishment she may receive any further. You can imagine how this shocked and hurt me. I asked him how he could ask such a thing of me when this girl had attacked me unprovoked, and I had been compassionate enough in not hurting, or attempting to hurt her—I was rather a pacifist by nature—yet he persisted. I will tell you that Prince Sky has his ways. He's never been unable to talk me into something. So, yes diary, I am ashamed to admit that I placated his parents and my own furious father in spite of my own desire to be reaffirmed by their natural and justified reactions. I even went so far as to visit with Faragonda and ask she not be too harsh, for I did not take it personally and believed it to be an honest misunderstanding. If only I could convince myself of that. Understand, however, that Princess Anika is no fool. He has feelings for her, and so I must follow him closely from now on. I won't have it that my prince's heart is stolen away by such a girl! Even if our marriage is certain, and its cancellation would surely bring war between Empathia and Eraklyon, I won't have it that he loves another when he has me. I will not be second-best._


	2. So Long, My Peaceful Existence

**2**

As it turned out, Bloom had returned home to Earth—an odd concept to grasp. How had a faerie ended up on Earth? Well, it made no difference, really.

Since her timely departure, I had spent more time with Sky and his friends, meeting up with them on their breaks. I was far from unwelcome, for the fair number of those who were friends of Sky, and even a a good handful of those who were not friends of Sky, were also friends of mine, and the majority of them jived sufficiently well with my upbeat personality. Even Riven wasn't opposed to my presence, if only because I noticed early on that he thrived on praise, and so offered it aplenty. However, Riven was hardly present during these get-togethers, and whenever he was, I always sensed something off about him. He never stayed long enough for me to figure out why that was.

It wasn't until a few days later that I finally discovered one potential reason behind all this: Riven was dating a witch. No wonder! Could that strange feeling have meant he was under some sort of spell? Even the suspicion of such a possibility motivated me to find him and determine the facts for myself, but he was nowhere to be found on campus, and apparently his hover bike was gone as well. 'When he gets back, then,' I decided. He'd been more or less fine this long, after all. Still, involvement with a witch rarely ever boded well for anyone.

"Hey, Anika! You seen Brandon?" Sky asked, appearing when I least expected him to.

I turned to face him with a smile. "Yeah, I was just talking to him. He should still be in the dorm. He said he wanted to take a shower after that swamp event." I winked and Sky laughed.

He didn't seem too down about Bloom as long as I was around, but when I wasn't I'd sometimes catch him trying to call her. I wouldn't call him on such a thing; it was best he try to get her out of his system without my nagging. Also, he'd admitted to me, as his childhood friend, that he had feelings for her. My deepest wish was that these "feelings" would fade with time, and with the right company.

"Well, we're all getting together for lunch. See you at the usual spot?"

I nodded. "Yup!"

…

"Sky, Brandon!" I stood half from my seat and waved to their approaching forms. The others laughed at my enthusiasm—they knew as well as the next person my feelings for Sky. Even Sky knew. Riven, who hadn't shown up, was often cruel to me about it, but I never let it get to me because I had reasoned as to why he was just a little bitter of my feelings for Sky: he wanted someone to feel that way about him, too. Although, that was probably nothing personal about _me_. We may have been getting along, but not _that_ well.

"Hey, what are those?" Timmy asked, pointing to the sky. Everyone looked, including me. Clouds were forming, followed by large creatures that could best be described as large magenta monster-birds. Same-colored rain began pouring from the sky and from the puddles it formed great beasts taller than a full-grown man. There was very little hesitation before everyone took to fighting.

"Enchantix!" The transformation only took seconds, but it seemed too long, for already everyone was at arms. I kept an eye on Sky, but for my first task I rescued a friend of mine from a bird-fiend by blowing it to bits with a blast of silver-blue energy, and then slowing my friend's fall.

"Thanks Anika!" He didn't look at me when he said this because he had to dive for his sword and take up the fight once again. I quickly moved on as well, given little time to dwell.

"Anika!" Sky called to me after taking down a few beasts of his own. "Get out of here!"

I shot another beam of energy at a stupid trio of ground-fiends that had lined up as if for that very purpose. "No way! I can't leave all of my friends here. I can't leave _you_ here!" I stressed his importance.

Sky was pushed back hard by a ground-fiend, and I moved swiftly to cushion the fall. That seemed to happen a lot—me, breaking the fall of others. Luckily, it hadn't turned out too bad for me yet. "Are you alright?"

Sky nodded and stood, helping me up after him. "Yeah, we'll be fine, but you…"

I sent another beam, this one filled with the desire to protect Sky, at the ground-fiend that was advancing on him from behind. The creature collapsed, falling back into many of those smaller fiends. They were not as prepared to catch him as I had been to catch Sky. "Oh really?" I asked, a challenge in my voice.

Sky shook his head. "Just stay close to me!" He was worried. It really made me happy, even if it was only the worry one felt for an important friend.

"Alright," I agreed.

As the two of us fought back-to-back, it seemed to be almost going well, but then more poured in from outside the Red Fountain walls! This is where the fighting took a turn for the worst. Everyone was clearly outnumbered, maybe eight to one.

"Sky! If we can herd most of them together, I can get them all at once!" Sky continued fighting, as did I. We couldn't afford to take a break and chat calmly about it.

"How are we going to do that? I don't even see anyone else! You'll have to fly and tell the others!" There he went, trying to get rid of my again.

I shook my head. "What about you?" I couldn't leave him to fight these things on his own!

"I'll be fine, I promise; just tell the others!"

I gave in, as always, and flew from the fray, first spotting Brandon. One after the other I told everyone what to do, and soon enough, they were making my idea into a reality! They were all regrouped and pushing the monsters back into a corner of Red Fountain. I concentrated all my winx into this attack, focusing on my desire to protect Sky and all of my friends. I raised my hands above my head, fingers overlapping as the power built up within me and flowed through my fingers, forming a net as I brought my hands back down. I directed it, and then let it go, feeling weak as so much power was drained from me.

Lowering myself to the floor, I could hear everyone around me cheering. I watched as the monsters tried to sink into smaller form, and then liquid form, and yet still could not escape. It didn't matter, though—this capture—because were still coming! An unending barrage of them continued advancing before our very eyes.

Everyone stopped cheering, frozen from the shock, but then they all just… left. Disappeared. Except for the ones I'd captured, the rest were just… gone without a trace, for no obvious reason. The cheering started up again, for different reasons this time, because why take this apparent success for granted?

"Woo!"

"Hahaha! They're gone!"

"They ran away!" were just some of the cheers.

Sky came to my side. "That was great, Anika!" I smiled up at him and let him help me stand, leaning against him because the opportunity was there, and I was very tired. The closest Specialists were congratulating me, including ones I didn't know, and even Saladin seemed pleased.

"We can use these specimens I captured to find out just what they are and how to most effectively defeat them. Very well done, Princess Anika!"

All the praise made me blush modestly, but I smiled my thanks at everyone. "I was only able to capture them because you all tried your best as well. I never could have made them group up so obediently," I joked. Everyone's spirits were light and merry, but I saw Saladin was worried nonetheless. With how curiously the fight had ended, I didn't blame him.

Later that evening, I heard the "specimens" had escaped. The tank they'd confined them to wasn't sufficient in the end, and although it caused some panic initially, no one had been hurt in the process.

The next morning, Saladin gave his address. All the students were lined up in their divisions and I, already in Enchantix form, sat not too far away on a wooden railing, from where I could hear everything. "Wing Men, the situation is serious. The time has come to do battle!"

Codatorta spoke next. "Are you ready?!" Seemed like a pep rally, really. A very, very important pep rally. This wasn't a game, after all. This was life or death.

"Yes, sir!" the boys answered, pumping their fists in the air.

Then, out of nowhere, a purple flash of lightning struck the ground nearby!

The sky instantly became clouded and darkened. The same ominous rain as before began to fall, but everyone was ready this time and still pumped from the last perceived victory.

"Take up your positions!" Codatorta announced.

The fight was on. As the minutes passed without a single sign of letting up, and even the plans of defense seeming useless in the end if there was truly no end to the fiends, the previous enthusiasm began to wane. It even dropped into panic when everyone realized that no matter how many they cut, the fiends only got larger and more numerous. Everyone was fighting for his friends and for the sake of the Realm itself, but it didn't seem to matter one bit!

Then, on the brink of despair, a woman's face appeared in the sky. To our great misfortune, it was not a good omen we saw.

"Icy!" Sky announced, giving name to the features.

She was laughing, and lightning came from her mouth, striking the stables, which immediately caught fire. The dragons were loose! I went to put the flames out, but Saladin beat me to the task.

On the up side, this allowed me to focus on yet another sore situation: the three witches I'd heard so much about, not a word of it good, appeared before everyone.

"You're wasting your time, Saladin," said the one called Icy, pointing her finger at him. "You'll never be able to save your school, _old man_." She sent an ice dragon to wrap around the school.

Since I'd had no way of anticipating that kind of attack, I wasn't able to put forward my best attempt at stopping it; however, it was because of my last-minute interference that the dragon only managed to get a hold of only the very top of Red Tower. They certainly weren't pleased about that, to be sure.

Codatorta knew, all the same, that there was a great need for retreat. "Strategic withdrawal! Everyone to their battleship!"

"Why is that pixie here?!" Stormy demanded.

"I don't know, but we should teach her a lesson!" Darcy said.

"Good! Let's fight!" I flew up, heading straight for them with the hopes I could land a good blow on any one of these witches who were putting Sky in danger. Even if their real bodies weren't present, any wounds to these "shadows" would be wounds to them. I thought Sky might have called my name then, but I was too far away by that point to hear it well.

"Calm down, girls, we have more important things to do than play with pixies!" Icy said, and then the three of them were gone.

Everyone was retreating, silent and unhappy. I joined Sky, equally disappointed with the turn-out. "I didn't even get close enough to land a good punch!"

Brandon forced a smile and patted me on the back. "You did your best, Anika."

Sky nodded in agreement. "This is all we can do right now, but we definitely won't let those witches get away with this."

The battleship holding me, Timmy, Brandon, Sky, and a few others took off. Apparently it wasn't in the direction Brandon expected. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"It's obvious," Timmy quipped.

I nodded and finished, "Alfea, where else?"

Brandon shrugged and glanced meaningfully at Sky.

"We all have to work together, after all," I added, nervous and desperate not to touch upon the topic brewing behind their eyes. In truth, I didn't want to go to go there. Sky might think only of Bloom, especially since she was apparently there now as opposed to at home. Sky had told me she was, anyway, but I hoped with everything inside me he'd been misled somehow—that she was still in the Human Realm with those foster parents of hers.

Seeing Sky's distant expression, I suddenly didn't have the will to distract him. "I'm going to go help those that were wounded." With that, I went into the back rooms to help those few that happened to be injured badly enough to need medical attention, but, really, nothing was very serious; at least not on this battleship. I just hoped, with everything I had, that no one had been left behind.


	3. So Long, My Sweet Prince

**3**

As predicted, everyone landed at Alfea, where Faragonda welcomed everyone. There weren't many rooms left over, so it was going to be a tight fit.

"Hey, since you guys are engaged, why don't you share a bed?" Brandon suggested with a wink in my direction. Brandon liked me enough that he was always trying to get Sky and I closer, and for that I was grateful.

"I don't know, Brandon…" Sky hesitated and looked around. Probably looking for Bloom.

"It's fine!" I cut in. "Let's share and make more room for everyone!"

Brandon nodded and crowded the two of us into the first empty room we found. "We don't know when they'll attack next so everyone should rest up while they still can." He shut the door.

Sky immediately went down to the bed and sat, brows furrowed in concentration. It was funny to see him with such a feminine backdrop, but his expression made me serious. I sat beside him. "What's wrong?"

Sky sighed and slouched forward, not looking at me. "It's about Bloom."

I should have guessed. "What about her?" I tried to be friendly, casual, but I really didn't want to hear it. Even if I were childhood friends, I knew whatever he was about to say was going to hurt… a lot!

"I… just can't stop thinking about her," he admitted.

"Oh…" He didn't say anything else, but I could tell he wanted to. I put my hand on his shoulder and smiled encouragingly even though on the inside I were begging him to say nothing at all—to think only of me, and to see only me. "Tell me about it."

"Anika… You're one of my best friends, and I do love you, it's just… it's different from the way I feel about Bloom. I know it's impossible to cancel this engagement because it'd start a war between our Realms because of your father, and I know it'd also be unfair to you, but… I really don't think arranged marriages are fair either. I want to marry someone I choose."

It was a stab to the heart. I almost choked on air. Why did he have to say it that way? "I…!" At least he was looking at me now, even if it was only because my voice had cracked pathetically in protest. "I understand, but I'm not giving up either!"

"Anika…" Guilt welled up in his voice.

I shook my head. "I don't think it's hopeless. It's not like this is the first time you've fallen for someone else. Besides, you're right. We're stuck with each other. I know it's not fair for you, but I'm trying my best to make you like me more!" I was on the verge of tears. "I really-! I love you! Why can't you at least let me try?"

Brandon burst in just then. "Sky! The girls might be in trouble!"

I felt as though Sky forgot about me and my confession completely in that moment, when he jumped and went to Brandon for information. Apparently "the girls" had gone to Domino, Sparx on a mission.

Brandon looked at me apologetically when Sky rushed out after hearing, but I understood his real agenda was saving Stella, not making Sky get worked up about Bloom. I couldn't give up, or allow myself to get discouraged. I would just have to go, too! I followed after, Brandon close behind.

"Professor Palladium is opening a portal for us!" Brandon informed Sky and I.

Sky looked back and spotted me.

"Anika!"

I caught his tone immediately, and steeled myself against it. "I'm going, too!"

He stopped short. "Please, Anika…" Why did those blue eyes have to look so sad? I hadn't done anything wrong!

"No!" I resisted.

Sky sighed, and I could tell there would be a pause as he gathered his thoughts.

"Why not just let her come with us?" Brandon asked.

"Look, Anika, please… just please stay here and wait for us to come back… I… I have to explain things to Bloom, and I don't think I can do it right with you there. I don't want her to misunderstand."

I frowned. "What's there to misunderstand? I'm your fiancée!"

Sky shook his head. "I know, but I don't want her to just condemn me before I even talk to her, and if you're there…"

I understood. I did. Honestly. I understood that he wanted to tell her to wait for him. That he didn't want to marry me. That he was going to find a way out of it. There was no other reason! But no matter how hard I tried later on, he'd get the chance sometime to tell her whatever it was that was weighing so heavily on his mind.

I sighed in defeat, and felt it all the way to my marrow. "Fine. Just go."

Sky smiled and hugged me, as if utterly oblivious to my feelings. He was just happy to have gotten his way, surely... "Thanks, Anika!" Then he was gone. The hug hadn't helped. Brandon hesitated, but he, too, was soon gone.

There'd never been a time I could remember that I and Sky had been so far apart as we were now. I'd always been there with him, all the way up until he went to school, when he'd begun to look at other girls. Now I wondered if it even made a difference where I was. By his side or hundreds of miles away—what did it matter? He only thought of me as a friend. I went back to the room and curled up on the bed, but I didn't sleep. I needed something to distract me, but I was grasping at straws until—'Oh no! Riven!' I hadn't seen him since… since when?! What if the witches were holding him hostage? There. My new mission: to find Riven!

…

Sneaking into Cloud Tower was ten times easier than reciting the names of the past rulers Empathia, and a simple Search spell was all that was needed to lead me to Riven. The walk, however, was long. I should have cast the spell sooner, so that I didn't end up starting on the opposite side of the school from him. It wasn't as easy to navigate the halls undetected as it had been to enter; those fiends from before that had attacked Red Fountain were all over the place.

My one saving grace was that I knew a few invisibility spells, or I'd have taken a much longer time searching for Riven—so much so that the chance of discovery by those monsters would have been around 88% (a made-up statistic, but believable nonetheless).

The spells I used were very base, so theoretically they shouldn't draw attention. I was so emotionally tired that I couldn't have fought the three witches on my own. After all, emotions were the bases of my power. They were the bases of power for all those native to Empathia.

I heard footsteps and abruptly halted, looking for some sort of cover to reinforce my invisibility spell, but as it turned out those feet belonged to Riven! I dropped the spell, revealing myself to him.

"Huh?! Anika!" He was up ahead and I headed toward him immediately. "Turn around and run!" he commanded.

Behind him, those creatures were in hot pursuit. I stopped once again and waited for him to get closer before casting a net over the nearest ones. I took Riven's hand. "This way!" I headed for the end of the hall—a window.

"Are you crazy?!"

A fair question, but I shook my head. "It's the only way! Trust me!" His hand tightened around mine, and I felt strong enough to do this. I could. For Riven's sake, and for the sake of my own sanity… the two of us jumped.

…

"Uhg… it stinks," Riven complained halfheartedly.

"Well… we did end up in the dump." I grinned at him, momentarily overcome by the adrenaline. "You ok?"

Riven nodded. "Yeah… nice fly-falling."

He was teasing, so I laughed. "Hey, I can't carry you myself."

"Good, let's go back now." Riven stood up and put a hand on my shoulder, changing his mind. "No, wait."

I looked back at him, curious.

"Look." He pointed, and I followed his point of focus. This place was infested with beetle roaches.

"Oh no!"

Riven pulled me back. "Shhh. Get down."

The two of us waited until three beetle roaches passed by. "Why did you come here?" Riven asked, moving along as he talked, looking for something. Had he dropped something?

"To look for you, of course. I knew when you didn't come back that it couldn't have been by choice." With so much going on, he would never have abandoned everyone that way.

Riven stopped his search and looked back at I. "By yourself?"

I walked into him, unaware he'd stopped while I was busy scanning our surroundings. "…Yeah. It might've drawn too much attention if I came with a lot of people, you know?"

Riven shrugged and continued his search.

"Ah ha!" He lifted up a rag and tossed it at me. I flinched away from it—it looked more than just dirty—but caught it at the last second. "Camouflage," he explained. "Just put it on. We don't want to draw the witches' attention."

I nodded complacently and put it on, then followed him around while he found one for himself as well as a weapon. I wondered if he'd really been under a spell, and if so, had he somehow broken it on his own? Maybe there hadn't been one to begin with. Maybe it was just difficult for me to accept he'd really fall for a _witch_, which I supposed… was somewhat awful of me, if it were true.

Riven sat up against a wall of the Tower, in a suitably hidden alcove. "Let's just lie low for a bit. We can find a way out when they scatter more."

I sat next to him and, my sleepless nights catching up to me, leaned my head against his shoulder. "Ok. I'm just going to rest my eyes for a bit…" I didn't hear any response if there had been one, for sleep consumed my senses.

…

It seemed only seconds before I was awake again. Riven's head was on top of mine. Was he asleep too? Why had I woken up?

Then I heard it—the sound of a fight. "Riven… Riven," I whispered.

"Huh? What?" He lifted his head, and I lifted mine.

"Do you hear that?"

Riven jumped up, pulling me along with him. "Let's go check it out!"

Once we got close enough to discern voices, I heard _Sky's_ voice and sped up, but then I also heard Bloom call, "Sky!"

_Sky, Sky, Sky_… Just Sky. Not Brandon, like before. Not Prince Sky, as it should be. Just Sky—my Sky.

I stopped. Riven stopped as well. "Anika! Come on! It sounds like the others!"

I looked to the side. "Go help them out, Riven."

He turned around, frustrated. "What about you?"

I shook my head. "I should really… return to Empathia. I'm not strong enough to help, especially without using my powers. Listen, Riven, do me a favor—don't tell them I was here, ok? Tell them when I jumped I were caught by a flying buttress."

Riven glared. "Why just now?!"

I looked back at him. "Please, will you just do this for me?"

Riven gave in. "Fine, if you get in trouble on your way out, don't expect me to save you!"

He was too sweet. His anger meant only that he was worried about me. I think. "Thank you, Riven." And so, we went our separate ways. I was not abandoning my friends. The second I managed to make a portal home, I sent reinforcements to Cloud Tower and Alfea. They'd need all the help they could get—something an emotionally weakened Princess couldn't offer.

**A/N: Ya'll are welcome to write a review or send me a private message. (: I'd like to hear some opinions, and find out where people would like to see this go.**


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